Across the Waters Project 2024
Across the Waters Photo Story
PICS is delighted to have received a Community Major Project Grant following a successful application to Bass Coast Shire Council. The photo story at right provides a summary of the inspiring Across the Waters Project 2024.
See links below for the Across the Waters song with lyrics and music by Laura Brearley (c) 2024
𝄞 Across the Waters Song with Notation 130524
𝄞 Across the Waters – Song Lyrics, Chords and Sign-Dancing Translation 290424
🎹 Soundtrack to Across the Waters song:
Western Port Writes 6th-8th September – A Big Thank You – Featuring some of the highlights including wonderful creative writing and artwork from local students.
https://soundcloud.com/laura-brearley/across-the-waters
Invitation to ‘Across the Waters’ Listening Circles
We are pleased to announce that special guests for each of the Listening Circles have been confirmed.
In each of the Circles, we’ll be exploring our connection to Western Port Bay through the process of Deep Listening where we listen with all of our senses and not just our ears. We create spaces where people can connect respectfully and safely. Deep and respectful listening builds community. More information about Deep Listening is available at: https://thelivingcircle21.com.
You are warmly invited to attend one, two, or all three Listening Circles. Summaries below, details in the .pdf links.
Deep Listening Circle #1 First Nation Perspectives on Sea Country
** This event was held at Coronet Bay on Saturday 14th September. If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit the event, you can read all about it in the notes below. Make yourself a cuppa and enjoy the wonderful photo story. **
Coronet Bay Hall 1.30pm – 3.30pm Saturday 14th September 2024
with Traditional Boonwurrung Custodians Uncle Steve Ulula Parker and Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir
Your Invitation to Deep Listening Circle No 1 at Coronet Bay (.pdf)
Deep Listening Circle #2 Creative Ways of Knowing
** This event was held at Wonthaggi ArtSpace on Saturday 12th October. If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit the event, you can read all about it in the notes below. Make yourself a cuppa and enjoy the wonderful photo story. **
Wonthaggi ArtSpace 1.00pm – 3.00pm Saturday 12th October 2024
Stencilling and mono-printing the living shapes and forms of Western Port Bay (Warn Marin) with artists Susan Hall, Ursula Theinert, Kate Gorringe-Smith, Camille Monet and Gidja Walker.
Your Invitation to Deep Listening Circle No.2 at Wonthaggi ArtSpace (.pdf)
Deep Listening Circle #3 Weaving together Art, Science, Culture and Community
Berninneit, Cowes 1.00pm – 3.30pm Saturday 9th November 2024
A Creative Message Exchange and celebration of story, song, poetry, art, dance and conservation with Aunty Sonia Weston, Mal Webb, Kylie Morrigan, Jo Lane, Kate Gorringe-Smith and Carmel Wallace.
Your Invitation to Deep Listening Circle No.3 at Berninneit, Cowes
Six Word Sentences
by Laura Brearley
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working in schools and with community groups and have been facilitating a process of writing six-word sentences. The invitation is to write six words which describe our love for the Western Port Bay or our concern for it, our special place on or near it and what our hopes are for its future. We’ll be doing this activity in each of the Deep Listening Circles too.
The words are going to be woven into collective poems, original compositions and artworks that reveal our relationship with the Bay.
I’ve attached a Community Call-Out for people who might be like to contribute a six-word sentences to the project.
A selection of six-word sentences will be displayed as messages at the third Deep Listening Circle at Berninneit on November 9th, along with Kate Gorringe-Smith’s Wall of Wings and other artworks made in the second Deep Listening Circle at Wonthaggi ArtSpace on October 12th.
Here are some six-word sentences from members from the Cowes Primary School Choir members who I worked with yesterday afternoon …
Beautiful sounds, toes in the sand.
The glassy surface shines with light.
The water dances with the tide.
Light calm breeze, sun glistens down.
PHOTO STORY Across the Waters
Deep Listening Circle #2
Creative Ways Of Knowing (.pdf)
Wonthaggi ArtSpace
Creative Ways of Knowing Western Port (Warn Marin)
Notes from Deep Listening Circle No.2 by Laura. Enjoy the wonderful Photo Story also.
The second of three Deep Listening Circles in PICS’ Eco Arts project, ‘Across the Waters’ was held last weekend at Wonthaggi ArtSpace. Participants explored creative ways of knowing Western Port, through shared stories, art-making, poetry-writing, music, song and dance. The event was facilitated by Laura Brearley with Guest Artists Susan Hall and Kate Gorringe-Smith, and with support from local artists Camille Monet and Ursula Theinert.
The focus of the gathering was ‘Creative Ways of Knowing’, and it built on the first Deep Listening Circle at Coronet Bay held last month, the central focus of which was ‘First Nations’ Perspectives on Sea Country.’
Last weekend’s gathering at Wonthaggi ArtSpace included working with a mono-printing process, using stencils and laser-cut shapes of silhouettes of flora and fauna found around Western Port.
A range of ecological information and artworks were used as stimulus material to inform and inspire the creative activities. These included artworks and writing from children from the Mornington Peninsula side of Western Port, including St Mary’s Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School and Wallaroo Primary School.
PICS President Greg Johnson participated in the event, and expressed his interest in seeing the role the Arts can play in environmental activism. ‘When I look at Western Port, I can’t help but think of the damage Europeans have done to it over the years. It’s got to start healing. It’s time.’ Greg made a strong and simple monoprint of a bird in flight.
PICS Committee Member Carmen Bush was also a participant, and shared her view that ‘The wetlands are a life force. The mangroves and the seagrass nurture and feed what lives in and around it, like the shorebirds and us humans as well.’
Participants were invited to write six-word sentences which were subsequently woven together into a collective poem about Western Port:
Light from the sun gives life
A life force for all beings
Clean still water
Birds at rest
Blue tranquil reflections in my mind
Shore birds feed on its shores
Fish find shelter in its mangroves
Life abounds in bubbles floating past
Stories held within rocks sing lifetimes
Family heart place
Water sky life
Joy tree and sea revealed
Waves in and out
New life
One precious egg
It has hatched
Beaks cracking the cones for seeds
Natures’ treasures in the littoral zone
Birds call evening flight swift
Flying home on warmth and inspiration
Stars float like birds of the universe
Magic above
Splendour below
Nature embraced
Artists unite to heal the Earth
PHOTO STORY Across the Waters Deep Listening Circle #1 Coronet Bay First Nations’ Perspectives on Sea Country (.pdf)
First Nations’ Perspectives on Sea Country
Notes from Deep Listening Circle No.1 at Coronet Bay. Take a little time out to enjoy the photo story also.
The first of three Deep Listening Circles in PICS’ Across the Waters project was held at Coronet Bay Hall on 14th September. Traditional Boonwurrung Custodians Uncle Steve Ulula Parker and Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir were generous in sharing their perspectives on Sea Country. Uncle Steve has made a painting of Western Port (Warn Marin) and has invited people around the Bay to contribute to it. The event was attended by members of the local Waterline community as well as the broader Bass Coast community, including PICS members Terry Nott, Christine Grayden and John Eddy.
Here are some responses from participants …
Thank you for a special afternoon, particularly in the company of our wise indigenous leaders.
It was heartening and gave me some hope that the smallest of actions on our part may help to preserve our beautiful land and all the habitat that needs it to survive and flourish well into the future.
To have an opportunity to listen to Uncle Steve and Aunty Fay was wonderful.
To see you, Laura – facilitate, sum up, bring together, move on and respect each person’s contribution and then weave it together was amazing.
I am grateful to have been invited.
I felt respectful, thoughtful, reflective and appreciative.
The creative works made at the Wonthaggi ArtSpace gathering will join other artworks generated from the Across the Waters project and will be on display at the third ‘Across the Waters’ Deep Listening Circle happening at Berninneit in Cowes on Saturday 9th November 1.00pm- 3.30pm.